“CAST What You Can’t CARRY”

Psalm 55:22, “CAST your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).” (AMPC)

Goodbye, Chicago! Hello, New Jersey! It was time for my friend Maria and her family to make their first major move as a young family. The ministry was pretty consuming, even back then, so they looked for the most inexpensive moving help they could find. They found a private moving company owned by a friend. Mark showed up with one other guy and they did a great job navigating their earthly possessions down this narrow apartment staircase. Some days later, they met them on the other end. The problem was that they were facing an even more challenging staircase to get to their new second-floor apartment. Probably the greatest challenge of all was their refrigerator. It was a heavy old bear…I mean, even to try to move it across the floor let alone up those stairs. But Mark said, “I’ll take care of it.” He proceeded to strap that refrigerator on his muscular back and carry it up that narrow staircase all by himself. All Thomas (Maria’s husband) could do was lamely yell, “Go, Mark, go!”

If Thomas had insisted on carrying that fridge, it would still be sitting on the sidewalk in front of that apartment! But Mark carried it on his back, and he carried what Thomas could NEVER carry! And just in case you didn’t know, that’s exactly what Jesus wants to do for YOU, if you’ll just let it go!

God extends an awesome and encouraging invitation to His children in Psalm 55:22. It says, “CAST your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).” (AMPC) The Message Bible says it like this: “PILE YOUR TROUBLES ON GOD’S SHOULDERS—HE’LL CARRY YOUR LOAD, HE’LL HELP YOU OUT. He’ll never let good people topple into ruin.” (MSG) How comforting to know that God says we can “Cast” our cares on Him! The word ‘cast’ is defined as ‘to cause to move or send forth by throwing; to put forth; to get rid of; to discard; shed; molt; to dispose; to assign; to throw forcefully’ It’s amazing that God doesn’t even want us to lightly hand Him our cares, but we can forcefully throw them at Him! We can even assign them to Him. The word ‘assign’ is defined as ‘to transfer to another especially in trust or for the benefit of; to appoint to a post, duty or task; to designate; to give the charge of a trust.’ With all of God’s power, might and authority, we’re given the privilege to assign to Him a post, duty, task, designation, charge and we can even transfer our cares to Him. ‘Transfer’ means ‘to cause to pass from one to another; to move; shift; change possession of.’ We get to give our cares to God and turn them from our possession to His! Out of all the hands in the world you could choose to cast, assign and transfer your cares to, they will always be safest in the powerful hands of God!

Psalm 73:23, “Nevertheless I am continually with You; YOU DO HOLD MY RIGHT HAND.” (AMPC)

Psalm 18:35, “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and YOUR RIGHT HAND HAS HELD ME UP; Your gentleness and condescension have made me great.” (AMPC)

Exodus 33:22, “And while My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and COVER YOU WITH MY HAND until I have passed by.” (AMPC)

1 Peter 5:6, “Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the MIGHTY HAND OF GOD, that in due time He may exalt you,” (AMPC)

Psalm 31:15, “MY TIMES ARE IN YOUR HANDS; DELIVER ME from the hands of my foes and those who pursue me and persecute me.

1 Samuel 5:11, “So they sent and assembled all the lords of the Philistines and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel; let it return to its own place, that it may not slay us and our people. For there was a deadly panic throughout all the city; the HAND OF GOD was very heavy there.” (AMPC)

2 Chronicles 30:12, “Also the HAND OF GOD came upon Judah to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord.” (AMPC)

Job 2:10, “But he said to her, You speak as one of the impious and foolish women would speak. What? Shall we accept [only] good at the HAND OF GOD and shall we not accept [also] misfortune and what is of a bad nature? In [spite of] all this, Job did not sin with his lips.” (AMPC)

Ecclesiastes 2:24, “There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and make himself enjoy good in his labor. Even this, I have seen, is from the HAND OF GOD.” (AMPC)

Mark 16:19, “So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and He sat down at the right HAND OF GOD.” (AMPC)

Acts 2:33, “Being therefore lifted high by and to the right HAND OF GOD, and having received from the Father the promised [blessing which is the] Holy Spirit, He has made this outpouring which you yourselves both see and hear.” (AMPC)

Romans 8:34, “Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right HAND OF GOD actually pleading as He intercedes for us?” (AMPC)

Colossians 3:1, “If then you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right HAND OF GOD.” (AMPC)

Hebrews 10:12, “Whereas this One [Christ], after He had offered a single sacrifice for our sins [that shall avail] for all time, sat down at the right HAND OF GOD,” (AMPC)

1 Peter 3:22, “[And He] has now entered into heaven and is at the right HAND OF GOD, with [all] angels and authorities and powers made subservient to Him.” (AMPC)

“When you leave everything in God’s hands, you see God’s hands in everything.” (Author Unknown)

“The same God who set the universe in motion is the same God who holds your life in His hands.” (Heather Dixon)

You my friend, as well as all of your cares, are in the safe, powerful and protective Hands of the Almighty God! Therefore, what’s taking you so long to finally cast all your cares on Him? In other words, why carry what you can cast?!

 In 1 Peter 5:7, you’re invited to “…cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” The Amplified Bible reads like this: “CASTING THE WHOLE OF YOUR CARE [ALL YOUR ANXIETIES, ALL YOUR WORRIES, ALL YOUR CONCERNS, ONCE AND FOR ALL] ON HIM, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” (AMPC) One of the keys that I want you to take to heart is the statements: “…THE WHOLE OF YOUR CARE…” The word ‘whole’ is defined as ‘complete; entire; all of something; everything’ God wants the WHOLE of your cares! He wants you to CAST it COMPLETELY; ENTIRELY; ALL OF IT; and EVERYTHING! One of the definitions for ‘ALL’ is ‘FROM BEGINNING TO END’. And ‘EVERYTHING’ is defined as ‘LEAVING NOTHING OUT’ That’s how much God cares about you and loves you, He doesn’t want you leave out a single care, cast it ALL and EVERYTHING! So why is it still in your hands?! The Living Bible reads: “LET HIM HAVE ALL YOUR WORRIES AND CARES, for he is ALWAYS thinking about you and WATCHING EVERYTHING THAT CONCERNS YOU.” (TLB) The word ‘HAVE’ is defined as ‘TO OWN’. God not only grants us the blessing of casting, assigning and transferring our cares and concerns, but He also becomes their new found owner! To ‘own’ is ‘to have or hold as private property.’ Meaning, once you cast your cares on God, they are no longer yours, but His private property! In other words, once you cast your cares on Him, MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS! They no longer belong to you! Now, how encouraging is that?! Again, with this promise belonging to you, why are you not casting what you know you can’t carry?!

If we were to draw a picture of you and your burden right now, would you be all bent down, staggering beneath the weight of it all because you’ve been trying to carry it yourself? But remember this, there’s another person in the picture! It’s Jesus, walking right beside you, whispering, “Let it go. Give it to Me.” Which reminds me of the three Hebrew boys in Daniel 3:25, “He answered, Behold, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt! And the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods!” (AMPC) No matter how hot the furnace of affliction you have to endure, know that you are never left to walk through them alone, Jesus is always an ever present help in times of trouble. He’s simply waiting for you to cast your fiery trials, cares and concerns on Him. And why does God want you to cast your cares on Him? Read 1 Peter 5:7 again in the following translations:

“…he cares about you” (NLT)

“…He cares for you.” (NLV)

“…he is most careful with you.” (MSG)

“…he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.” (TLB)

“…He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” (AMPC)

“…He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].” (AMP)

Are you starting to really understand why your Father desires for you to cast your cares on Him? He cares about you; He’s careful with you; He’s watching everything that concerns you; He loves you with deep affection. God’s love for you is heavier than the load of cares and concerns you keep carrying! So here’s your word for today: RELEASE IT!

You may have talked to the Lord about your burden, but you’ve failed to trust Him with your burden. Like a car in need of repair, it isn’t just enough to tell the mechanic what’s wrong with the car. You have to leave it with him! Probably the biggest single reason we will not let go of our crushing burdens and concerns is this: CONTROL. We insist on keeping it in our control. We’re too stubborn or too afraid to roll it over onto Jesus’ back. Stubborn because we want our way with it, no matter what. Afraid because we apparently don’t trust what Jesus will do with it. The Result: an emotional and spiritual hernia from carrying what you never should have been carrying!

What’s it going to take for the weight on you to be lifted? You’re going to have to reverse what you learned from “The Little Engine That Could” and say those liberating words, “I think I can’t.” That moment of surrender makes you desperate for what God and God alone can do. And desperation is the condition with which God can do the most.

You trade stress for peace when you choose to rest on this load-lifting promise of 2 Timothy 1:12: “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.” Listen to that again:

“…I KNOW the one in whom I TRUST, and I am sure that he is able to GUARD what I have ENTRUSTED to him until the day of his return.” (NLT)

“…I KNOW the One in Whom I have put my TRUST. I am sure He is able to keep SAFE that which I have TRUSTED to Him until the day He comes again.” (NLV)

“…I KNOW whom I have BELIEVED and am PERSUADED that He is ABLE to KEEP what I have COMMITTED to Him until that Day.” (NKJV)

“…I am SURE he is ABLE to PROTECT what he has TRUSTED me with until that day.” (NCV)

“…I am SURE that he is ABLE to SAFELY GUARD all that I have GIVEN him until the day of his return.” (TLB)

“…I KNOW Him [and I am PERSONALLY ACQUAINTED WITH HIM] whom I have BELIEVED [with ABSOLUTE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN HIM AND IN THE TRUTH OF HIS DEITY], and I am PERSUADED [BEYOND ANY DOUBT] that He is ABLE to GUARD that which I have ENTRUSTED to Him until that day [when I stand before Him].” (AMP)

In other words, GOD CAN BE TRUSTED! You know how you know that? He proved it at the cross! John 3:16, “For God so GREATLY LOVED AND DEARLY PRIZED the world that He [even] GAVE up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.” (AMPC) God’s love for you is so great and dear that He GAVE UP. Now it’s your turn to love Him so much that you GIVE UP for Him. Give up what? Your attempts to carry and control what is beyond your capability to carry! Listen, it won’t be your load that determines the outcome, no, it will be your Lord’s love!

Philippians 4:6-7 promises that when you leave your needs and anxieties with God, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The Message Bible reads likes this: “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (MSG) The Amplified Bible reads: “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (AMPC)

If you’re not experiencing that peace in the midst of your burdens, then you’re still carrying them!

Lastly, remember in the opening story, Thomas saw Mark pick up and carry on his back a load that would have crushed him. I can testify myself that I’ve seen my Lord do that over and over again in my life…when I finally took my stubborn hands off of what I was carrying and totally trusted it to Him and His hands.

Family, you woke up carrying that load again today. How about you also let it go today? Let Jesus do with it what only He can do. And tonight, you can rest in peace because it’s out of your hands and in His. I encourage you today to CAST What You Can No Longer CARRY. Why? Because God’s Hands Can Handle What Yours Can’t!

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWordFeel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “20 Healthy Meals For Dinner That Are Perfect For Weeknights”

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